he was, he could not shrink from it.

A puff of spray that blew into his face disturbed his meditations, and
when by and bye a little tumbling sea splashed in over the weather bow,
he rose and helped the others to haul a reef in the mainsail down.
That accomplished, he went below and lugged out a well-worn chart,
while the _Selache_ drove away to the westwards over a white-flecked
sea. This time she carried fresh southerly breezes with her most of
the way across the Pacific, and plunged along hove down under the last
rag they dare set upon her with the big combers surging up abeam, until
at length they ran into the clammy fog close in with the Kamtchatkan
beaches. Then the wind dropped, and they were baffled by light and
fitful airs, while it became evident that there was ice about.

The day they saw the first big mass of it gleaming broad across their
course on a raw green sea, Dampier got an observation, and they held a
brief council in the little cabin that evening. The schooner was hove
to then, and lay rolling with banging blocks and thrashing canvas on a
sluggish heave of sea.

"Thirty miles off shore," said Dampier. "If it had been clear enough
we'd have seen the top of the big range quite a way further out to sea.
Now, it's drift ice ahead of us, but it's quite likely there's a solid
block along the beach. Winter holds on a long while in this country.
I guess you're for pushing on as fast as you can?"

Wyllard nodded. "Of course," he said, "you'll look for an opening, and
work her in as far as possible. Then, if it's necessary, Charly and I
and another man will take the sled and head for the beach across the
ice. If there's a lane anywhere I would, however, probably take the
smallest boat. We might haul her a league or two, anyway, on the sled
if the ice wasn't very rough."

He looked at Charly, who made a little sign.

"Well," he said simply, "I guess I'll have to see you through. Now
we've made a sled for her I'd take the boat, anyway. We're quite
likely to strike a big streak of water when the ice is breaking up."

"There's one other course," said Dampier; "the sensible one, and that's
to wait until it has gone altogether. Seems to me I ought to mention
it, though it's not likely to appeal to you."

Wyllard laughed. "From all appearances we might wait a month. I don't
want to stay up here any longer than is strictly necessary."

"You'll head north?"

"That's my intention."

"Then,"